Month: July 2014

People living in the 21st century are lucky. We have all the conveniences brought to us by technology. We can communicate with anyone in the world in a matter of microseconds, we can look up any sort of information that we want with just a click of a button, and we can even work without going to a physical office!

Despite these modern advantages, most of us still suffer from a lack of productivity. The irony here is that we have all these high tech work tools at our fingertips yet we still manage to find ways on how to avoid doing work.

So, do productive people (who get a lot of work done in a day and still have time for hobbies and other enjoyable activities) have a secret that they won’t share with the productivity-challenged?

Well, these people do not really have productivity “secrets,” per se:

They have habits!

Here are some of the common established habits that productive people have:

THE 10 PRODUCTIVITY HABITS

1. Productive people can differentiate “fake” productivity from “real” productivity
Sometimes, we put off doing real work in favor of other non-essential tasks. These tasks might somehow resemble “real” work, and thus give us a false sense of productivity. For example, in lieu of doing important tasks, people might attend useless meetings, sort out emails, and chat with coworkers.
Productive people know that these things do not really constitute work and know how to avoid them.

2. Productive people know when to let go of the non-essentials
Should sorting out emails take up an hour of your valuable work time?
Do you really need to edit this document five times before you send it to your client?
Sometimes, we do non-essential tasks by dint of habit. We need to learn how to let them go. It’s either we get rid of them or allocate them to others.

3. Productive people do not multitask
…or avoid it, especially if they don’t need to. Multitasking is the bane of our generation.
The brain is just not wired to juggle multiple things all at the same. Tasks are meant to be completed one at a time for maximum efficiency.

4. Productive people know how to schedule their work “blocks.”
Most of us are early-risers, with most of our productive time scheduled during the daytime, while some are night owls.
Productive people know how to sync their work blocks around these times of productivity

5. Productive people power through boredom
Persistence pays off in the long run. This is what separates productive people from the unproductive ones.
Suffering from writer’s block? Well, it doesn’t exist. You need to write something down on paper NOW even if you’re bored and don’t feel like it.
Persistence, not procrastination, is the reason why things get done.

6. Productive people know when to unplug
Yes, too much technology is bad for you. Being connected 24/7 has its perks, but its really not good for a person’s overall mental health and well-being.
Meditate, commune with nature, or just take a little bit of time off from your computer- all of these can really help you increase productivity and jumpstart your way to success.

7. Productive people have regular sleeping habits
Lack of sleep does not equate to productivity. Your eyebags is not a sign that you’re a hardworking person, it just means that you have poor sleeping habits.
Regular sleep (six to eight hours per day, on a constant schedule) has long been scientifically proven to increase productivity.
8. Productive people workout
Going to the gym or exercising is always a win-win situation for all.
Not only does physical activity release endorphins (“feel good” hormones that can alleviate stress and keeps us happy throughout the day) it also helps us stay in tiptop shape, and contributes to good sleeping habits. And you don’t even have to do backbreaking high intensity either. Even thirty minutes of cardio (walking, running, biking) will go a long way.

9. Productive people reward themselves
“All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy” as the famous saying goes.
Reward serves as incentives for productive work. It pushes us, and drives us to finish tasks.

10. Productive people know how to allocate breaks
Breaks are essential for a productive lifestyle. Our bodies and brains are just not meant to work non-stop, so breaks are there to keep us refreshed.
Some people need longish breaks after long work blocks, while some can make do with short breaks interspersed throughout the day.

There are some great companies who have incorporated play areas for their innovation teams. The idea behind this is to move an adult out of their regimented, structured way of thinking and put them in a child’s environment where there are no limits on what he or she can think or do. The adult might get in touch with their ‘inner child’ and gain a different perspective that may be the potential catalyst for new innovations. To understand the method behind the ‘madness‘ of corporate play rooms to stimulate creative thinking, consider how children think and how boundless their minds are.

Google, Facebook and almost all the companies in the world that are known for innovation encourage their employees to take some time to play, take naps or even have recess in an area equipped with appropriate toys.

Judging by what these companies have been able to do and how they have grown, this is a strategy that works.

So how do children view success? And what can we learn from them.

Read on to find out.

What Everyone Can Learn From A Child’s View on Success

What’s wrong with the way adults view the world

Adults behave the way they do because they have to please society and perpetuate certain beliefs in order to be deemed worthy of being of the status they might occupy in their workplace, community and family.

A child’s wide view has no judgments of good or bad. Labels are put on by society and imprints of trauma are created when children seek to make sense of things that happen to them.

What is it that we lose when we grow up?

Certain behaviors should be unlearned as we age. Some of these behaviours should be done away with anyway like bed wetting; however, there are certain traits that we should keep with age like limitless imagination and spontaneity. It doesn’t take much for a child to be happy and it is not that far-fetched to assume that it’s possible to be anything you wish when you grow up.

A child’s brain is very flexible, they can change their minds easily. They are curious and will want to explore the boundaries that adults create for them. However, as children grow up they get to a point where they have to define who they are and will hone in on things that they feel are relevant. When this happens, no one is aware that the great number of possibilities that exists is decreased, by choice.

To be a successful person you need to be able to zone in on the things that are relevant to you and exploit them, but there is always a limit which requires you to have an explorative mind as well that allows you to stop and step out of what the accepted definition of who you want to be and the goals you have really is.

As some motivational speakers like to say, “you are the author of your own life”, and this process starts with your childhood dreams and the journey you had to take to transition. Your mind may not be able to turn back time but you can definitely change your attitude and outlook on life to get an ending that is more to your liking.

”If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.”

Getting a fresh perspective and daring to go outside convention

Companies who have adopted creative play rooms rely on innovative thinking but adults always have rules that they want to follow, they don’t colour outside the lines. Children might be presented with a drawing of an elephant and told to paint the elephant, very few, if any, will paint the elephant in the exact way a real elephant looks, some may even paint the elephant pink, or green because of a fixation with everything they paint is pink, sometimes there are spots on tigers and stripes sometimes on an elephant even when we all know that it can never happen.

To encourage and boost a child’s confidence, and help him or her to grow up being sure of how worthy they are, children need a fresh perspective. A fresh pair of eyes stretches the horizon and suddenly, you will find yourself thinking thoughts asking the question “what if?”.

What else can we learn from the way children view the world

If you were a product, a good analogy of the difference between the younger version of yourself and who you are as an adult now is to consider your childhood as the research and development phase. A lot can go wrong, most of the time the problems are introduced by the parents and the system where this product is being developed. We all know that at the end of the day, we are products of our childhood circumstances (good or bad), some of us come out better than others but we all have the ability to improve ourselves if we can look back and figure out what elements we missed out on.

It is never to late to reclaim the positive elements and add the naïve childishness with the wisdom and experience of age.

Well, as humans we are constantly driven by underlying habits, and it’s almost like we are running on auto-pilot most of the time. Understanding this may mean that the key to positive change is to warp these habits or maybe even replace them with better ones for good.

One thing I’ve learned up to this point in life is that the mind has a memory. And its realy smart; it “subconsciously” recognizes patterns. Once the patterns become a habit, it’s hard to stop. It requires extra mental strength to break the habit.

“Starting from small, it becomes big.”

Starting with white lies, repeatedly, you become a compulsive liar.
Starting with shoplifting a lipstick, repeatedly, you become a thief.
Starting with faking documents, repeatedly, you can become a white collar criminal.
Starting with being dishonest, repeatedly, you become a cheater.

At the same time…

1) Starting with exercising at least 3 times a week, repeatedly, you become fit.

2) Starting with eating healthy everyday, repeatedly, you become well and healthy.

3) Starting with walking with your back straight, repeatedly, you have an elegant posture.

4) Starting with smiling and being positive, you become a happy person to be around inside and out and attract people with the same energy to you.

5) Starting with giving unused clothes and loose change to the homeless, repeatedly, you become empathetic and giving.

6) Starting with sharing things with others, repeatedly, you become generous.

7) Starting with only doing things that align with your core values, repeatedly, you are a person of meaningful values.

8) Starting with reading, repeatedly, you become addicted to learning.

9) Starting with making sure you get what you need done for the day, repeatedly, you are always on top of everything.

10) Starting with being focused, each task at a time, repeatedly, you can easily get into the flow and be productive.

11) Starting with thinking outside the box, repeatedly, you become extremely creative.

12) Starting with getting out of your comfort zone, repeatedly, you become confident and fearless.

13) Starting with telling yourself what you want to achieve in life, repeatedly, you will get there.

14) Starting with just getting it started, repeatedly, anything you want to be and do, you can be and do.